The present invention relates to apparatus for removing exposed photographic roll films from the casings of containers or cassettes of the type wherein the film is located in front of a backing strip consisting of paper or the like and is expelled from the takeup section of the casing in response to withdrawal of the backing strip through an exposure opening which is provided in a flat intermediate section or bridge of the container. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in film removing apparatus of the type disclosed in the commonly owned Lets. U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,878 to Zangenfeind.
Zangenfeind discloses an apparatus wherein one end of the backing strip in the properly located casing of a container for exposed photographic film is expelled from the intermediate container section by way of the exposure opening in response to forward movement of a pivotable pusher which enters the intermediate section by way of a second opening which permits observation of indicia applied to the rear side of the backing strip and serving to enable the user of a camera to determine the number of exposed or unexposed film frames in the container. When the pusher performs a forward stroke, the leader of the backing strip is caused to enter the nip of two advancing rolls which are driven to draw the backing strip from the takeup section of the container whereby the leader of the film emerges from the takeup section, is separated from the backing strip by a deflector and enters a channel to advance toward the nip of a second pair of driven advancing rolls which transport the film toward a further processing station, e.g., toward a splicing device which attaches the leader of the film to the trailing end of a preceding film.
It has been found that, when the leader of an exposed film exhibits a strong tendency to curl, it is likely to curl upstream of the deflector so that it does not enter the channel which leads toward the nip of the film advancing rolls. It has also been found that, when the leader of the film exhibits no tendency to curl, it is likely to bypass the deflector and to advance toward the nip of the advancing rolls for the backing strip. Moreover, the emulsion-coated side of exposed film is likely to be scratched or otherwise damaged by the customary edge which is defined by the intermediate section of the container at that end of the exposure opening in the intermediate section which is adjacent to the takeup section.